Mayo Clinic has confirmed that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is scheduled to undergo surgery for prostate cancer, offering a medical explanation for his failure to appear before Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) by the June 2, 2025 deadline.
In a letter dated May 14, 2025, the renowned U.S.-based hospital stated that Mr. Ofori-Atta had undergone MR-guided biopsy and imaging tests in March, which confirmed a diagnosis of prostate cancer. A surgical intervention has been deemed necessary and is scheduled for June 13, under the care of Dr. Paras Shah of the Department of Urology.
“This surgical procedure has been scheduled for June 13… It is hoped that a closer date may open up,” wrote Dr. Ahmed Abdalrhím of the Mayo Clinic’s Section of International Medicine. He added that Ofori-Atta would require a recovery period before being able to return to Ghana.
The statement comes just days after the OSP issued a strongly worded declaration reclassifying Ofori-Atta as a fugitive. The office accused him of failing to honour its request to appear in person on June 2, stating that no further delays or remote negotiations would be accepted.
“We want him here physically, and we insist on it,” the OSP emphasized on June 3. “A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose how the investigative body conducts its investigations and the methods suitable to him and his convenience.”
The Mayo Clinic’s disclosure now adds a new layer to the public discourse, placing Ofori-Atta’s health condition in direct contrast with the OSP’s insistence on physical presence for questioning. As the political and legal standoff intensifies, it remains unclear whether the OSP will reconsider its position in light of the medical evidence.
